Pope Francis says the Christmas season provides a reason for hope during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. During his Sunday blessing this week, Francis commented that the Vatican’s Christmas tree – itself a symbolic reason for hope – went up last week in St. Peter’s Square. Work is also underway to build the life-size Nativity scene Read more
Sunday September 13 marked six months since the U.S. declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. The reality that this pandemic is a marathon, not a sprint, has started to take a toll on people’s emotional and spiritual well-being, with more than half of adults reporting a decline in mental health due to worry and Read more
Psalm 27:12 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will Read more
This week’s reflection comes from the parish of Holy Name Church, Dunedin. It is ironic that in these times of isolation when people replace cars around the streets, people are meeting more people than they used to. All the while keeping their social distance and remaining in their bubble. People seem to have slowed down. Read more
Pope Francis said he has “hope in humanity” during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In an interview for a television programme this week, Francis was asked if he was “optimistic” in face of the pandemic. He replied, “that’s a word I don’t like, because optimism to me, I’m not saying it is, to me sounds like Read more
Drawing on the “Servant of Hope” theme of his recent trip to Morocco, Pope Francis told the faithful at his General Audience last week that “to serve hope in our day is to build bridges between cultures”. Thanking God for allowing him “to take another step along the road of dialogue and encounter with our Read more
Kazuo Ishiguro, the Japanese-born author of The Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go, and five other acclaimed English-language novels, was awarded the Nobel Prize on Thursday. No doubt, Ishiguro’s many Catholic fans, myself included, heartily applauded the news. In striking contrast to many modern novelists, his deeply moral stories go to the heart of the Read more
Imprisonment without offering the prisoners hope in the future is the same as torturing them, says Pope Francis. While he agrees prisoners must pay the price for the crimes they have committed, the punishment can be effective “only when inmates are helped to look toward the future rather than only back at a past lived Read more
In the middle of the current wave of political unrest, hunger and death, Venezuelan people are finding forgiveness is possible and there is hope for a better future. Violent demonstrations and attacks since the end of March have seen 92 people killed and over 1,500 injured. The new change in Venezuelan people’s attitudes began with Read more
The cause of canonization for the Italian laywoman Chiara Corbella opened June 13, the fifth anniversary of her death. Here is a recent interview with her husband: When Enrico Petrillo and Chiara Corbella were expecting their son Francesco, Chiara was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer. Together, they decided to postpone treatment so Read more